Green Classroom Professional Certificate now available

The new certificate is offered by the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched The Center for Green Schools in September 2010. The initiative focuses on green building principles in K-12 school and community colleges. Yesterday, The Center for Green Schools announced its newest program, the Green Classroom Professional Certificate.

Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, administrators, parents and paraprofessionals can complete a 12-module program and receive a Green Classroom Professional Certificate.

Module topics cover important green building principles including indoor air quality, water efficiency, energy efficiency and more. The course is offered online and takes approximately two to three hours to complete. After completing the 12 modules, participants are required to take and pass a final assessment. Upon successful completion of the assessment, a Green Classroom Professional Certificate is awarded; the certificate is valid for five years.

The Center for Green Schools is offering the course at a promotional price of $75 until April 1, 2012. This includes the online training modules as well as the course assessment.

I love that this program is designed to help everyone, even those not working in a LEED-certified school, help make eco-friendly and ultimately child-healthy choices in their classrooms. As an added bonus, the National Education Association (NEA) endorses the certificate and teachers can qualify for elective continuing education credits for taking and completing the course.